The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says the Air Task Force (ATF) of “Operation LAFIYA DOLE” has neutralized Boko Haram terrorist camps at Zanari and Tunbun Rego, in Borno.
Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said that the operation was carried out on Monday.
"The NAF ATF of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has recorded further gains in the ongoing air interdiction operations designed to wipe out remnants of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) within the fringes of Lake Chad.
"This occurred as the ATF on Aug.20 conducted air strikes on BHT camps at Zanari and Tunbun Rego in Borno State.
"The air strikes at Zanari were planned and executed based on intelligence reports indicating that the BHTs had established a training camp in the village and were converging in an area prior to departing for an attack on own troops locations around the Lake Chad area.
“Accordingly, the ATF scrambled II NAF Alpha Jet aircraft for a pre-emptive strike on two specified locations within Zanari, where the BHTs were assembled,” he said.
Daramola said that the fighter aircraft acquired and attacked both locations, neutralizing several BHTs, with only few survivors seen fleeing the area, adding that ” these were later mopped up by follow-on rocket strikes”.
"Similarly, another identified BHT rendezvous point and staging area on the outskirts of Tunbun Rego was also attacked and destroyed by the Alpha Jets,” the spokesman said.
He said that the NAF would continue to deploy its platforms to conduct intensive Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions in the entire Northeast aimed at discovering the possible locations of remnants of BHTs and neutralizing them.
Some troops of the Nigerian Army, who went missing in action, following the Boko Haram terrorists’ attacks on a military base in Jilli, Yobe State, and Bama, Borno State, have yet to be found, according to reliable military sources on Saturday.
Our correspondent learnt that the army bases in both locations were making frantic efforts to locate the displaced soldiers as well as recover at least three military gun trucks which were still missing.
“I can confirm to you that not all the ‘missing-in-action soldiers’ have been found. We are still looking for several of them. Some gun trucks are also yet to be recovered.
“We have just been promised logistics’ support by the army chief. This means the supply of more war equipment and food items, which were the major things carted away by the insurgents,”
a source said in an interview with COLOSSUS GISTS.
The number of soldiers still missing as of Saturday was uncertain as the army authorities had kept mum on the development.
The army base in Jilli was reportedly attacked last week by the Boko Haram insurgents when at least 20 soldiers were said to have died and about 20 others injured.
This was preceded by a Boko Haram ambush of a military convoy in Bama, Borno State, where hundreds of soldiers were displaced in the ensuing gunfire and some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force said to have been killed.
Some soldiers reportedly died also with conflicting figures from multiple sources.
One of the sources, close to Bama, had said, “About 10 corpses of soldiers ambushed in Borno have been recovered. The army is still looking for the rest of them. The terrorists are said to be from the Al-Barnawi faction.”
The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig Gen. Texas Chukwu, had said on Wednesday that the attack on Jilli was “very unfortunate” while denying that any soldier was killed in the incident.
Chukwu also stated that the terrorist attack on Bama to “cart away operational vehicles” was repelled by troops, adding that only an officer and a soldier sustained injuries.
Our correspondent, however, learnt that the loss in both army locations was so huge that it forced the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and other top commanders from the army headquarters, Abuja, to visit the North-East and assess the situation on the ground.
The army chief thereafter promised the 21 Brigade in Bama “adequate logistics support” to aid their operations.”
Our correspondent learnt on Saturday that there was still tension in Jilli and Bama over soldiers who had yet to be found, either dead or alive.
Multiple sources confirmed to our correspondent that the gun trucks and other ammunition, carted away by the insurgents, had also yet to be recovered.
“We are trying to boost the troops’ morale to prepare for other assaults. It is clear that the terrorists are trying to remain relevant. They are in search of arms and ammunition and that is why they target our bases. We will not allow them,” a source added.
A journalist said to be well-informed about the sect’s activities, Ahmad Salkida, had taken to Twitter on Wednesday to describe the death toll in the attack on Jilli as “staggering.”
Ahmad said,
“There should be a national mourning. We had never this type of incident before in the Lake Chad crisis that the military been caught on the wrong footing as it’s evident in the latest attack on Jilli.
“There is a grave sense of despair among officers and men. The toll is staggering,” say multiple sources.
The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole has killed several Boko Haram Terrorists at Bulagaye and Kwakwa areas of Borno State.
Adesanya said upon receiving reports of the attack, the ATF scrambled Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform and the Alpha Jet aircraft to locate the fleeing terrorists.
Consequently, he said the insurgents, who were seen assembling at a staging area in Bulagaye began to disperse upon sighting the attack platforms.
“However, the NAF fighter aircraft acquired and attacked the fleeing insurgents with bombs and rockets. As a result of the air strikes, the terrorists were neutralized while their vehicles and weapons were destroyed, leading to a thick cloud of black smoke,” he stated.
According to Adesanya, intelligence reports later revealed that a smaller bunch of the terrorists had re-assembled in a settlement known as Kwakwa with the ATF conducting a wave of strikes on the location.
He said the ISR platform successfully identified the terrorists’ location and vectored the attack platforms to the target area, which was attacked with bombs and rockets.
The NAF Spokesman also said that some of the terrorists were seen fleeing towards a nearby settlement and further attacked with rockets and then neutralized.
He promised that the Air Task Force would continue to conduct missions in support of the efforts of our troops in the counterinsurgency operations in the Northeast while also providing Close Air Support when requested to do so.
Today Monday mark one of the kidnapped teenage student, Leah Sharibu 15th birthday in the custody of her captors. Miss Sharibu is the only one of the schoolgirls kidnapped from Dapchi still with the terror group, Boko Haram.
It is now almost two months since the Nigerian government negotiated the release of the 105 abducted Dapchi girls.
About 110 students, including Miss Sharibu, were abducted from the Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, after their school was attacked by the Boko Haram on February 19.
Four days after their abduction, President Muhammadu Buhari promised to ensure the safe return of all the abducted students.
Mr Buhari also vowed that his administration would ensure the abductors of the Dapchi girls were apprehended and brought to justice.
“I also instructed the security agencies to deploy in full and not spare any effort to ensure that all the girls are returned safely, and the attackers arrested and made to face justice,” the president had said.
A month after their abduction, the federal government secured the release of 105 of the girls, following what was described by the Director-General of the State Security Service Lawal Daura as a series of ‘behind-the-scene discussion.’
Like the news about their abduction, controversial figures of the number of released girls emanated from official authorities in government, till a final information revealed the total number of freed girls to be 105.
Miss Sharibu, who would have been the 106th girl to be freed, was left behind for refusing to denounce her Christian faith.
The remaining four kidnapped girls were reported to have died at the hands of their captors, who entered freely into Dapchi town on March 21 to return the freed girls.
Miss Sharibu’s mother had fainted and became unconscious after hearing the news about her daughter’s situation.
In a statement shortly after their release, Mr Buhari pledged to ensure that, “the lone girl was not abandoned”.
“The Buhari administration will not relent in efforts to bring Leah Sharibu safely back home to her parents as it has done for the other girls.
“President Buhari is fully conscious of his duty under the Constitution to protect all Nigerians, irrespective of faith, ethnic background or geopolitical location and will not shirk in this responsibility,” the statement signed by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu had said.
Three days after the release of the 105 Dapchi girls, the Inspected-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, was quoted as saying that Miss Sharibu may be released by her abductors.
“I am supposed to go to Dapchi today, but because I learnt that that schoolgirl, Leah, may be released today, that was why I have to shelve my trip to the town,” Mr Idris said.
Mr Idris however explained his stance when the girl was not returned.
Speaking also on the floor of the Senate; a senator representing Yobe State, Bukar Ibrahim, said on March 29 that Miss Sharibu, as well as the remaining Chibok girls still held captive would soon be free.
The same terror organisation had abducted 276 girls in April, 2014 at a boarding school in Chibok, Borno State, during the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
About 57 of the girls were later reported to have escaped while 107 girls have so far been freed by the group, leaving 112 of the girls still held captive, four years after their abduction.
Yet 54 days after the negotiated return of the Dapchi girls and 84 days after Miss Sharibu’s abduction, neither the federal government nor its security agencies have succeeded in ensuring the safe return of Miss Sharibu.
Reacting to the continued detention of Miss Sharibu, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, (CSN) described her situation as a demonstration of increased hostilities against the Christian religion in Nigeria, as well as in other parts of the world.
Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday evening, the girl’s father, Sharibu Nathan, pleaded again with government to ensure the safe release of his daughter.
“Up till now, we have not seen our daughter. I am asking the government to please try and bring my daughter back safe. They should please help us!” Mr Nathan pleaded.
He thanked Nigerians, both Muslims and Christians, for their prayers and called for more supplications to ensure the release of his daughter.
“I thank all those Muslims and Christians who have prayed for us. They should please say more prayers for my daughter,” Mr Nathan added.
In a message by spokesperson for the Bring Back Our girls, (BBOG) group, Sesugh Akumeh, on Sunday night; the group said Miss Sharibu would have been marking her 15th birthday on Monday (today).
PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Nathan who confirmed the information to be true. “Yes today is her birthday,” Mr Nathan said.
While Nigerians expect the government to ensure Miss Sharibu’s release, it now appears certain that on May 14, 2018 when she should be celebrating her 15th birthday with family and friends, she is still with her captors.
Four members of Boko Haram have surrendered to Troops waging war against Boko Haram in Borno state.
According to The Cable, this was made known to newsmen by Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director Public Relations of the Theatre Command.
He said “The terrorists who claimed they are from the Abubakar Shekau faction comprised 3 men, one woman and 3 children.
“Two of the men were Boko Haram Amirs (commanders) while the third man was a Boko Haram medic, who provided medical treatments to wounded insurgents in the field
“The only woman among them is a wife to one of the Amirs and held a position as one of the women leaders amongst the female terrorists, while the children, comprising two girls and a boy are offsprings of the surrendered terrorists.”
Nwachukwu also revealed that they have been transferred to the operation Lafiya Dole Headquarters in Borno state.
Troops repel Boko Haram attack in Gamboru
The Nigerian Army on Saturday said its troops successfully repelled an attack by Boko Haram insurgents at Gamboru-Ngala in Borno.
According to Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, the Director, Army Public Relations, one terrorist was killed while several others fled.
The army spokesman also called on the people to co-operate with troops, provide useful and timely information to security agencies.
The Nigerian Army has approved the promotion for 3,729 troops fighting the Boko Haram terrorist group in the North-east part of the country.
Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu, Director Army Public Relations, stated this in a statement on Thursday, saying that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai has approved special promotion for the troops for their gallantry.
The troops are contingent of the Operation LAFIYA DOLE, who participated in Operation DEEP PUNCH II in the Sambisa Forest.
The statement read in brief, “This is in recognition of their valour and uncommon commitment to duty during the operation.”
The beneficiaries include 223 Staff Sergeants promoted to the rank of Warrant Officers, 511 Sergeants promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeants while 994 Corporals were promoted to the rank of Sergeants.
The rest are 1064 Lance Corporals promoted to the rank of Corporals, while 932 Private soldiers were appointed Lance Corporals.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it has intensified day and night aerial bombardments of insurgents’ locations within the North-East region.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
According to Adesanya, on Oct. 26, the fourth day of the ongoing Operation ‘RUWAN WUTA II,’ NAF conducted air interdiction on some structures in Dure, insurgents infested location, 12km East of Sambisa.
“Reports from NAF intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms have revealed the gradual resurgence of insurgent activities in the settlement, particularly at the targeted structures, which were hideouts for the terrorists.
“Five aircraft, namely three Alpha Jets and two F-7Ni, conducted the air interdiction missions.
“The Alpha Jet aircraft and the F-Ni aircraft took turns to attack the location with bombs, destroying the targeted structures and killing the terrorists.
“The Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) conducted after the strikes revealed that some of the structures were razed by the bomb explosions,” he said.
The director added that on the same day, NAF conducted air interdiction missions on insurgents infested settlement in Mangusum.
He said the location was attacked in succession by the aircraft, which dropped bombs destroying structures in the location and sending a few of the surviving insurgents fleeing.
“Thereafter, another Alpha Jet aircraft followed up with rocket and cannon attacks in the target area, strafing the fleeing terrorists in the process.
“Subsequent BDA of the attack indicated some burnt structures and significant casualties inflicted on the insurgents,” he was quoted in the statement.
He said the operation, which was initiated by NAF leadership, as a follow-up to the hugely successful Operation ‘RUWAN WUTA,’ had so far proved to be even more successful.
The Nigerian Air Force has said over N400m was spent to fuel fighter jets deployed in its operations to combat the Boko Haram terror activities in the North-East between July and September 2017.
The Air Component Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Commodore Tajudeeen Yusuf, said this in Maiduguri, Borno State, during a briefing to discuss the successes and challenges recorded by the component during the third quarter.
According to him, the air force fighter aircraft flew for a total of 1,551 hours and 39 minutes within the period under review.
Yusuf, who noted that a total of 842 missions were conducted in the period under review, said: “The air efforts in the third quarter of 2017 as compared to the previous quarter show an increase in activities based on the upsurge of day and night Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance as well as Armed Reece sorties to identify targets for interdiction.
“We also conducted several missions in support of ground troops.
“Overall, from July to September 2017, a total of 842 missions were conducted in 1,162 sorties with a total of 1,551 hours and 39 minutes flown by the various platforms. For all these sorties, a total of 1,596,165 litres of Jet-A1 was consumed, which translates to a fuel cost of N399,041,250.”
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